Sir, - The recent announcement of the An PostGAA "Team of the Millennium" prompted me to select an alternative, more imaginative line-up. My team would be as follows:
Goalkeeper: St Patrick. "Shamrock" to his team mates. Very dependable between the sticks. Opposing forwards will find it difficult to "snake" one past him.
Right Full-Back: Brian "Ouch" Boru. Generally reliable defender. One poor game against the Danes dented his reputation.
Full-Back: Eamonn de Valera. "The Long Fella". Good under the high ball. Astute reader of the game. Reputed to be able to predict which way the wind blows by looking into his heart.
Left Full-Back: Wolfe Tone. "Frenchie" is a very mobile corner-back. Noted for his frequent forays upfield. Always immaculately turned out.
Right Half-Back: Padraig "The Professor" Pearse. Very dedicated player. Would shed his last drop of blood for his team mates.
Centre Half-Back: Michael "Hit Man" Collins. Hard man of the team. His positioning can occasionally be a little naive. Also known as Mick "Mind Yer Back" Collins.
Left Half-Back: James "The Red" Connolly. Genuine player. Hardworking, dependable. Couldn't be left out.
Mid-Field: Daniel O Connell (Capt). "The Liberator". Born leader. Great motivator - though half-time team talks tend to drag on a bit.
Mid-Field: Cuchulainn. Strong. Combative. Whole-hearted. Probably first name on team sheet.
Right Half-Forward: John "Flash" Kennedy. Darling of the terraces. Fleet of foot - but can drift in and out of game. Qualified to play through ancestral rule. Centre Half-Forward: Tony O'Reilly. Occasionally wears No. 57. Very versatile player. Noted for his unstoppable solo runs. Reputed to have made a fortune on transfer deal to the US.
Left Half-Forward: Charles Steward Parnell. "Fuzzy" has great left foot. Good playmaker. Occasionally strays out of position.
Right Full-Forward: Charles J. "The Boss" Haughey. Cute player. Very elusive. Difficult to pin down. Beautiful side-step.
Full-Forward: Thady "The Belly" Quill. Excellent place kicker. Fitness a problem - doesn't like training.
Left Full-Forward: A.N. Other. Probably has been on more winning teams than any other player. Couldn't be omitted.
Other candidates who failed to make the team for various reasons were:
P. Reilly (Ballyjamesduff) - Couldn't be located.
S. Thomas (Kildare) - Doesn't like shade of green jersey.
G. FitzGerald (Dublin) - Forgot his boots.
I challenge any of your readers to pick a superior team. - Yours, etc., Michael O'Connell,
The Village, Newbridge, Co Kildare.